The invention relates generally to the structures of toy guns, and more particularly to such structures in which a nozzle, barrel or other projectile discharging port is movably carried to allow water, darts or other matter to be discharged in variable directions with respect to the gun.
Water guns are known in the art in which the projectile (water) is discharged from a single nozzle which is pivotally carried on the body or frame of the gun. A user may manually control the direction of discharge by rotating a knob which is affixed to the nozzle so that the knob and nozzle pivot together. No indexed or "normal" rest position is provided for the nozzle, so a user will not generally know in what direction the gun will fire without visually inspecting and adjusting the nozzle.
A toy dart gun with a pivoting single barrel is marketed by Hasbro, Inc. under the names Sneak Shot and Corner Shooter. A user may manually control the direction of discharge by rotating a separately pivoted knob, which causes the barrel to pivot via a gear train. The barrel is not biased or indexed to a rest position, and thus may be left in any position within its range of motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,488 (Sands) discloses a nozzle assembly for a water gun wherein a rotatable member may be manually positioned to align various orifices and passageways to allow water to selectably be discharged from nozzles directed toward the front, rear and side of the gun. The nozzles are fixed in their orientations so their directions of discharge cannot be varied.